Wembley Champions are non party political neighbours, family and friends who ask for transparency and accountability from Brent Council in their decisions and actions. We seek a better quality of life for all Wembley and Brent residents and businesses.

Saturday, 3 June 2017

Zac Goldsmith Housing Correspondence

(Note: WembleyChampions are thousands of non-party political residents of Brent)

This
is what Zac Goldsmith (Conservative) wrote to us 12.11hrs on Tuesday 3rd May before he lost the Mayor of London elections in 2016 to Sadiq Khan (Labour):

"Joel Davidson has drawn my attention to the proposed Chesterfield House
redevelopment and how it will dominate the Wembley neighbourhood.

There’s little doubt that Housing is the number one concern in London. A
whole generation, possibly two, has little hope of getting on the
housing ladder. Millions of Londoners are currently spending half of
their income on unsustainably high rents, meaning they have little
chance to save for a deposit.

There is no single answer to this
problem, but there are many things that we can do to improve the
situation. We need to focus on releasing publicly owned brownfield land
for development while also putting empty houses back on the market. A
London-first bias for new developments would also ensure Londoners have
access to homes in their own city. But, if we are to deliver the level
of new homes we need, we must also work with communities, not against
them. London’s new homes need to be high quality and built in keeping
with their local area.

I want new developments to compliment the
communities they exist within, rather than towering over them. They
should enhance, rather than undermine existing communities. In many
cases, low-rise, high-density streetscapes would generate enough new
quality housing to cater for our needs for many years to come. My policy
is that everyone should be able to live in homes they are proud to call
home. Tall buildings have a role in parts of central London but,
otherwise, should only be allowed where there is clear community consent
and where they are the only way to ensure higher densities.

The
London Plan sets out the framework for development in London. If I’m
elected, I will revise the London Plan to strengthen it against
unacceptable developments.
Unfortunately, we are now so close to
polling day it will not be possible for us to meet, but you can be
assured that I am entirely sympathetic to the issues you raise.

With best wishes,
Zac Goldsmith MP
Conservative candidate for Mayor of London"